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Australian Anti Vaccination Ban would set a dangerous precedent for free speech.
DENYING an anti-vaccination campaigner a visa to speak in Australia would set a dangerous precedent for free speech, civil libertarians say.
MORE than 2400 people have signed a change.org petition urging the federal government to deny a visa to controversial US osteopath Sherri Tenpenny who’s due to give several seminars across Australia.
But Civil Liberties Australia director Tim Vines says the government does not have a right to prohibit the speech of an individual.
“She doesn’t have any criminal convictions of the kind that would normally give the minister grounds to refuse a visa on character grounds,” Mr Vines told AAP.
“It’s a dangerous precedent to be set where we deny people the right to come to Australia in order to speak to a crowd about ideas which might be unscientific, and they might be wrong, but they are still entitled to voice that opinion.”
But several venues have already succumbed to pressure and cancelled her appearance.
Orignal Story here http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/uproar-as-us-anti-vaccination-campaigner-sherri-tenpenny-announces-trip-to-australia/story-fnet08xa-1227174524848
